Child Support Question

[mommytomyangel]

just a question: Me and my baby's father are trying to work things out. We were dating for a year, broke up for 6 months, and are now trying to work things out. Our daughter is now 3 1/2 months old. I was just wondering if he still has that legal option to help me support our daughter. We live in Texas.

[elklaw]

Unless you waive him providing support and the court agrees to that, or his parental rights are terminate, it is more like a legal obligation to provide support for his child and not an option. If you two remain together, there is no real need to formalize the situation, but if you are apart and you may want to do this anyway since you are not married, pursue establishing paternity in court. As part of that process after paternity is established, request that child support be established. If you two are together and marry, then there is no need for this step. You will just have to make some decisions about how to pursue this and if you need to.